In an audio essay, New York Times columnist Ezra Klein called on President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 presidential election, a stunning reversal of confidence from a journalist who was, until now, supportive and satisfied with the president’s term. Klein applauded Biden’s many policy successes and his ability to keep his party united, unlike the fractured GOP, but ultimately concludes that Biden no longer has the energy to mount a winning campaign that can defeat Donald Trump. “Retirement can be, often is, a trauma. But losing to Donald Trump would be far worse,” Klein said, citing Biden’s low approval ratings and poor polling. Democrats instead need a candidate who can aggressively campaign against Trump, he argued, and there are a ton of stars in the party now, governors and legislators alike, who could become its next champion. But the first step is convincing Biden that he needs to step down, finish his term in a strong place, and prioritize “his country over his ambitions,” Klein wrote.
